Starting the 2014-’15 season, Santa Rosa Junior College will have nine alumni who will be stepping on the court with a 4-year university jersey on their backs.
Skyler Olsen (Kelseyville), who played for SRJC from 2010 to 2013 will be playing for Mayville State University in Mayville, ND. In her first year as a Bear Cub, Olsen was a red shirt when the team won the CCCAA State Title. In her second year, Olsen was a key role player on the team as they won the Big 8 Conference and made it to the Elite Eight. By her third year, Olsen worked her way into a starting spot for the Bear Cubs as she helped them win the Big 8 Conference and make it to the Final Four of the State Tournament.
Jade Hudson (Fortuna), a powerful post player for the Bearcubs from 2010 to 2013, will be suiting up for her junior season season at Cal State Dominguez Hills, in Carson, CA. In her first year, Hudson played a vital role for SRJC as she was the first person off the bench and helped lead the team to a State Title. Due to injury, Hudson was a medical redshirt in her second year. In her third year as a Bear Cub, Hudson was a big contributor under the basket, getting rebounds and helping maintain solid defense against teams who were much larger. Her sophomore season ended at the Final Four of the State Tournament.
Anandi Jimenez (Montgomery), a two year player at SRJC from 2011-2013, will be joining her teammate at Cal State Dominguez Hills for her junior season. As a freshman, Jimenez was a starter and one of the top rebounders for the Big 8 Conference champions. She also led the team in shots blocked for the season. As a sophomore, Jimenez’s role changed as she came off the bench, but still played a very important role for the team. Jimenez made a clutch game winning shot against San Francisco City College to take the team to the Final Four of the State Tournament.
Arianna Hansen (Rincon Valley Christian), a post player for the Bearcubs from 2011 to 2013, will be playing for The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, CA. As a freshman, Arianna played a vital role coming off the bench for the Bearcubs as they won the Big 8 Conference and made it to the Elite 8. As a sophomore, Arianna took more of leadership role as a captain and a starter for the Bear Cubs. She earned First Team All League, Second Team All State and Academic All State and helped take the team to the Final Four of the State Tournament.
McKenzie Mangino (Ursuline), a two year starter for the Bear Cubs from 2011-2013, will be playing her final season at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. In her two years at SRJC, Mangino was a strong post player who was often asked to guard the biggest, strongest and most physical players on the opposing team. In her freshman year, she helped stretch the floor and open up the inside with her 3-point shooting abilities. This allowed for other players to penetrate the inside- an important factor in the team’s success. As a sophomore, Mangino took on a large leadership role as one of the team’s captains. She often led the team in points score and rebounds per game. She had the assist to Jimenez to beat San Francisco City College and take the team to the Final Four.
Whitney Edens (Cloverdale), a guard player at SRJC from 2011-2013, will be joining Mangino for her senior season at University of Hawaii at Hilo. As a freshman for the Bear Cubs, Edens played a key role, coming off the bench as a point guard and a shooting guard. She was asked to take on different roles each game depending on where she was needed. Her flexibly on the court, and her leadership helped her earn a starting spot and a co-captain position in her sophomore season. In her second year, Edens played shooting guard and led the team in points per game for the season. She played a huge role leading the team to the Final Four. Her efforts helped her earn First Team All League honors as well as All Tournament at the State Tournament Final Four.
Erin Skinner (Rancho Cotate), who played at SRJC from 2011-2014, will be playing her junior season at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA. As a freshman, Skinner was a redshirt on a team with many talented post players. With a year of practice experience under her belt, Skinner stepped onto the court with a lot more confidence in her freshman season. She was able to make some big plays for the Bear Cubs coming off of the bench. In her sophomore season, she was one of the team’s captains. She played with a lot more composure and confidence. Skinner was a key player in the team’s success, hitting a number of baseline shots and pulling down many of rebounds for the Bearcubs. She helped take the team to an Elite Eight appearance.
Stephanie Sack (Casa Grande) was a two year player for the Bearcubs from 2012-1014. Sack started every game in her two years as a Bear Cub. She will now be starting her junior season at Cal State Monterey Bay. In her first year playing at SRJC, Sack was the starting point guard and helped lead the team to a Big 8 Conference championship and Final Four appearance. She rarely came off the floor and was a commanding force, helping the team keep composure in high pressure situations. In her second season, Sack was a stand out player for the Bear Cubs. She also took on a greater leadership role as one of the captains. She was named First Team All League, Third Team All State and Academic All State. She also set some records. She is now the SRJC women’s basketball leader in assists in a game, assists in a season and assists per game. .
Gretchen Harrigan (Casa Grande), a one year player for the Bear Cubs in the 2013-2014 season, will be starting her sophomore season in Sacramento State University this fall. In her one season at SRJC, Harrigan definitely made a name for herself and helped the program tremendously. She led the team in points scored and rebounds, and now leads the SRJC program in a few categories. She is the SRJC leader in points scored in a game, points scored in a season and points per game. She is third for SRJC in rebounds in a season. The duo of Sack and Harrigan helped lead the team to a 20-10 overall record and an appearance in the State Tournament Elite Eight. Harrigan was selected the Big 8 MVP, First Team All State and Academic All State Team with a 3.88 GPA.
All of the alumni who are playing on in the 2014-2015 season had great success while at SRJC, and we are excited to see them succeed at the next level.